


Taking care

by alinedel05



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: M/M, Male Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-23
Updated: 2013-03-18
Packaged: 2017-11-26 15:28:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/651814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alinedel05/pseuds/alinedel05
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finch catches the flu after washing Bear and Reese takes care of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's notes: I'm not a native English speaker so I apologize in advance for any mistakes. This is set right after Shadowbox, although I assumed a different ending to it.

It had been two days after he and Finch had washed Bear and he left them both behind with the excuse of having to start following the latest number.

It was early in the morning and Reese had just arrived at the library, ready for a new day of work. Bear was asleep in his bed next to the desk but he woke up in alarm with Reese’s approach. The ex- soldier got down on one knee and rubbed behind the dog’s left ear to assure him that everything was ok. Staring at the desk, Reese saw numerous pill bottles, a pack of tissues and a thermometer, but no sign of Finch. John walked around the library and found the bathroom door closed with a glimpse of light escaping from under the door. 

“Finch, are you in there?” Reese asked while knocking at the door.

“Yes, Mr. Reese, I’m in here.” Finch’s voice sounded terrible, weak and tired.

“Is everything al….?” 

Reese was interrupted in mid-sentence as the door opened. And there was Finch, wrapped in a blanket, with no jacket or vest, the knot of his silk tie loose and holding his glasses in his hand. He looked pale and he was shivering, his forehead and neck damp with sweat, cold sweat. Reese’s eyes widened at the sight.

“Harold, what’s wrong with you?” His voice sounded highly nervous and concerned.

“I’m just fine Mr. Reese, nothing you should worry about.”

“Really?” He asked with an ironic tone. “You look anything but fine to me.”

Reese put his right arm around the older man and helped him back to the working station. Even though Finch didn't feel comfortable with the situation, he was too weak to fight it. 

Finch sat back in his chair and held his head in his hands. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, as if he was having trouble breathing.

“Harold, have you convinced yourself that you’re not fine?” Reese got no response, so he went on. “You need to tell me exactly what you’re feeling. I know you don’t like hospitals so I need to know what you have so I can take proper care of you.” 

Finch raised his head, lifting an eyebrow that hid an unspoken ‘I don’t need to be taken care of, I’m not a child anymore.’ But instead, he decided to be cooperative. He had been dreaming about his employee for months, even daydreaming sometimes. Imagining the softness of Reese’s skin, how it would feel to have Reese’s lips against his ear speaking in that sexy lilt he had. So, maybe this sick situation Finch had gotten himself into, could be a good opportunity.

“I feel extremely exhausted, every single muscle in my body is aching. My head hurts as if someone was poking a million needles inside my brain. I feel hot and cold at the same time, I can’t stop perspiring. It’s hard to swallow because my throat is really sore. I have a runny nose and sometimes I’m having trouble breathing.”

Reese was impressed by the thorough description of symptoms, but he guessed that for someone who had spent so much time in hospitals, Finch had probably gotten used to describing how he felt to a number of different doctors in many different situations.

He looked for Finch’s jacket hanging by the coat rack and took a lavender pocket square. He told the older man he would be right back and went to the bathroom. He soaked the small piece of cloth with fresh water and quickly went back to where Finch was sitting, now with his head back and his eyes closed.

Finch startled when he felt the cool cloth pressing on his forehead. Reese kneeled down by his side and put a gentle hand on his left shoulder.

“Easy Harold, relax, this will make you feel better.” 

Reese looked around for the thermometer he’d seen earlier. The hand that was previously on Finch’s shoulder went down to the first button on his shirt, but the sick man caught it with his own hands.

“Mr. Reese, what are you doing?” 

“I just need to take your temperature before we get out of here.” 

“I said I’m fine Mr. Reese, it’s probably just a cold. I got work to do, I can’t leave now.”

“Can you just stop being so stubborn and let me take care of you? You’re not fine, you’re burning up. You probably caught a bad flu from washing Bear the other day. I should have been more helpful, after all, like you said, it’s my dog.”

While he was talking, Finch let go of his hand and so Reese was able to open the first three buttons on the shirt and he slipped the thermometer under Finch’s right armpit. The skin felt hot from the fever and slippery from the sweat. Reese had always wanted to feel his employer’s skin against his own, touch him and explore his body and he hoped that the feelings were mutual. He just imagined that when the opportunity presented itself, the situation would be completely different.

As they waited for the thermometer to register the temperature, Reese patted the handkerchief on Finch’s face, removing the also lavender silk tie to work on his throat and neck. Reese also got a water pitcher that was on the desk, filled an empty glass that Finch had probably used earlier to take some pills, and offered it to Finch. 

“You need to keep your body hydrated Harold. I’m sure you know that. So you should drink as much water as you can.”

Finch’s hands were trembling so Reese helped him take a couple of swallows before setting the glass back on the desk.

Then, Reese placed his hand inside Finch’s shirt once again to remove the thermometer. He was shocked by the reading.

“102?! Harold, let’s head to my place now. We need to get you in the shower immediately to cool you down!”  
This time, Finch didn’t protest, he knew just as well as Reese did the bad effects a really high fever could bring. 

Reese helped Finch shut down all the equipment and secure the library before they headed out. They didn’t know when they’d be back, so they brought Bear along.

As soon as they arrived in the apartment, Reese guided Finch to the bathroom, turning on the lights and shutting the door behind him. He got down and took off Finch’s expensive brown leather shoes and matching socks. Finch’s cheeks turned red as Reese’s fingers worked on his belt buckle and then unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. Reese placed Finch’s hands on his shoulders so he wouldn’t stumble and fall as the pants came off. 

To finish, Reese unbuttoned the rest of Finch’s shirt and took it off, leaving the older man standing there just in his boxers. Finch made a motion to try and cover himself, but he was so exposed he wasn’t even sure what part of his body to hide. Reese grinned, leaned close and held Finch in a tight embrace, whispering in his ear.

“Don’t worry Finch, I’m not going to abuse you. There’s no need to be shy. Let me just take care of you.”

Still blushing, he nodded, feeling too tired and sore to psychically protest.

They headed toward the shower stall and Reese turned on the water, putting his hand in to check the temperature and make sure it was just right. As he was going to set Finch inside, the older man’s legs started to give out. If it hadn’t been for Reese’s grip, Finch would probably have fallen down on the floor, he was just too weak and couldn’t stand by himself anymore. 

“Do you think you can hold on for just a little while?” Reese asked as he set the trembling hands on the cold metal safety rail.

Again, Finch just nodded.

Reese stripped to his boxers as fast as he could, afraid that Finch would just collapse on the floor at any second, and stepped inside the shower. He wrapped his arms around Finch’s chest, holding him as close and tight as he could against his own chest. 

“You can let go of the rail now Harold, I got you, I won’t let you fall.”

Reese just let his mind wander for a few seconds at how intimate this moment was. His hands were spread around Finch’s chest and he could feel the beating of Finch’s heart against his left hand. Both of their skins were wet from the cool shower spray and they were touching each other nearly from head to toe. Reese’s head was standing over Finch’s left shoulder, his stubbled right cheek against Finch’s shaved one. He had never been any good at taking care of sick people but this just felt so good and so right.

With Finch’s hands released, Reese took small steps toward the shower, letting the cool water soak their bodies. 

“Feeling any better Harold?” Reese asked while running his right hand up and down Finch’s chest, his left one still feeling Finch’s heartbeats.

“The cooling shower is helping a lot. You didn’t need to go through all this trouble because of me, so thank you.”

“My pleasure Harold. Our line of work, we need to be in our top physical condition always. I felt bad for leaving you behind to dry Bear the other day, so let’s say I’m trying to make it up to you.”

After standing there for some silent minutes, Reese felt that Finch’s temperature was starting to come down. He turned off the shower and grabbed a towel, drying the older man’s hair and face. It’d be no use drying Finch’s body while he was still wearing his now soaked boxers so Reese motioned to take them off but the other man immediately stopped him.

“I can do that myself Mr. Reese.”

This wasn't the time for sarcastic remarks so Reese didn't argue. He turned around and felt one hand and then another one touch the back of his shoulders as Finch was using Reese’s body to steady himself while taking his boxers off. Finch wrapped the towel around his waist and let Reese know he could turn around again.

Reese, on the other hand, took his boxers off while Finch was still looking at him. The billionaire tried to look away and Reese had and probably would never again see Finch blush so much. He was pretty comfortable with his body and had actually imagined stripping in front of Finch, so this felt like a dream come true.

When they were both dry, they headed to the bedroom. Reese helped Finch lie down on the right side of the large bed. While the sick man was getting comfortable and arranging pillows under his head, Reese headed back to the bathroom and then to the kitchen. He returned a few minutes later with pills, a glass of water and a small bottle of VapoRub.

“What is all this Mr. Reese?” Finch asked curiously.

“Some antiviral drugs and antipyretic for your fever and some pills to help you sleep. These sleeping pills are pretty strong, so they’ll knock you out for some hours.” 

“I’m not sure I want to sleep for so long Mr. Reese, specially such a profound sleep.”

“You really could use the rest Harold. Don’t worry, I’ll stay up and around, make sure everything is ok. You’re safe here, safe with me.”

“And what about that?” Finch pointed towards the small bottle. 

“If you take the pills, I’ll show you.” Reese said with a smile.

Finch took the pills without further protest and drank some water to help swallow them. Just as he went for the blankets, Reese stopped him.

“What is it, Mr. Reese?”

“I still have to show you what’s in the bottle, remember?”

He took the bottle and as soon as he opened it, a cool and strong minty smell filled the room. 

“I smell menthol and camphor. And possibly eucalyptus as well.” Finch said.

“Very impressive Finch. This is VapoRub, it’ll help decongest your chest and it’ll also make it easier for you to breathe. “

Finch reached for the bottle, but Reese stopped him.

“I’m sure it’ll be much more comfortable if I do it for you. Just lay back and relax, Harold.”

When Finch didn’t protest, Reese coated his fingers with the cool substance and started to rub them on Finch’s throat and neck. Finch sighed at the cooling and refreshing sensation and closed his eyes, just enjoying the feeling of the long calloused fingers on his skin. Reese’s touch was soft and gentle, everything Finch had always imagined.

Reese applied more ointment to his hand and rubbed it on Finch’s chest, making circular moves with both of his hands, his fingers brushing the mix of brown and white hair and occasionally rubbing against Finch’s round and dark pink nipples, which began to harden. Reese himself was feeling another part of his anatomy getting hard as well. This wasn’t supposed to be sensual, he was just taking care of his sick friend, just as Finch had done when he was shot. But seeing Finch practically naked, with his walls down and so willing to let Reese take care of him was giving the ex-soldier’s body other thoughts. But unfortunately, it wasn’t the time, he just couldn’t abuse Finch in his current state.

Waving all the lusty thoughts aside, he focused on rubbing Finch’s breastbone, his fingers working up and down the whole length of the bone. Reese looked up and saw that Finch had his eyes closed and his mouth slightly open. He felt happy to see the lines of worry on Finch’s face fade away, he probably have never seen Finch this relaxed. He wanted to keep his employer this way, so when he was done with the chest rub, he decided to do a tender massage to work Finch’s aching muscles. He began with the sides of Finch’s ribs. He worked his way down from under Finch’s right armpit, first just lightly caressing Finch’s skin and then applying a small amount of pressure. He could sense Finch shifting in bed and trying to muffle chuckles. 

“Funny Harold, I never took you for the ticklish type. I can stop it if it’s making you uncomfortable.”

“No Mr. Reese, you can proceed. It’s just… Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve been manipulated in this way.”

“All right, just let me know if it gets to be too much for you to handle.”

Reese carried on with the massage, now sitting on the edge of the bed so he could work on Finch’s left side better. When he was done, Finch was already a melting mess, moaning whenever Reese’s fingers touched him.

Reese kept going, and began to work on Finch’s arms. First the left one. He stroked his shoulder then felt for Finch’s collarbone. Then, he worked his way down to the biceps and triceps. He lifted Finch’s arm a little and used the palm of his hand to make circular moves on Finch’s elbow. Then he went to the forearm, using his thumb to take the tension away from Finch’s wrist and he took his time massaging his hand and each finger at a time. He did the same thing with the other arm. 

When he was done, he realized that Finch’s breathing had slowed down, his chest slowly rising and falling as he inhaled and exhaled. The sleeping pills had kicked in and Finch had fallen asleep. Reese softly covered Finch with the warm expensive blanket that Finch himself had bought, pressed a light kiss to his forehead and let the older man sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Finch had been fast asleep for about seven hours. Reese had gone out quickly to get some supplies for when Finch woke up but, for the most time, he didn’t take his eyes away from the sick man, sitting on a chair he put by the side of the bed. Occasionally, he would put the back of his hand on Finch’s forehead to check if he still had a fever. He would also adjust the blankets to make sure the sleeping man was comfortable. After some time, he got up and went to the kitchen to prepare an old recipe of home remedy that could be useful to relieve the flu symptoms, herbal tea with ginger, cinnamon, lemon and honey.

Finch woke up while Reese was away. He looked around for his glasses but couldn’t find them, so he spent a couple of minutes making his sleepy mind remember where he was. As soon as he lifted his head, he did remember. He was sick, very sick, and Reese had brought him home and took care of him. He tried to get up but it was useless, he was still too weak and dizzy. He wanted to call out for Reese, but his throat was too dry and sore for that, so he waited for his return.

A couple of minutes later, Reese came back. 

“Harold, I was just about to wake you up. Are you feeling any better?” He said as he set the steamy tea mug on the bedside table.

“I still feel very weak overall. I think the fever is gone but I’m nauseated and the headache is still strong. Different areas of my face hurt, which I guess is probably some kind of sinusitis. Also, my throat is very dry and my muscles just ache so much.”

“Well, we can’t expect you to bounce back from the flu so fast. It’ll still take some time, but don’t worry, I’ll keep taking care of you. Actually, I brought something that might help with your throat, but you better sit up first, here let me help you.”

Reese set a couple of pillows on the bed headboard, pulled down the blanket that was covering Finch and put his arm under the other man’s body to help him sit. 

“Comfortable?”

“Yes, Mr. Reese. As far as comfortable can go when even the slightest movement hurts.”

“Here, drink this. But be careful, I just made it, so it’s still very hot.” Reese said as he offered the mug to Finch.

Finch held it and took a small sip.

“My sense of taste is affected but still, it tastes delicious Mr. Reese, thank you. Now, I’m sorry if I sound so inquisitive, but how long was I asleep, and where are my glasses?”

“You slept the whole afternoon Harold. And your glasses are right here by the bedside table. I left them close by in case I wasn’t around when you woke up.”

Reese handed the frames to the older man and held the mug while Finch adjusted the glasses on his face. 

“Another thing I was wondering. I recall falling asleep with just a towel around my waist but now I see that I’m wearing pajamas that don’t properly fit me. Did you, hum…” 

“You want to know if I changed your clothes while you were asleep? Yes, I did. I couldn’t just let you fall asleep with a damp towel around you and no other clothes on, I had to make sure your body was warm and cozy.”

All kinds of images were going through Finch’s mind as he imagined Reese seeing him completely naked, something he was trying so hard to avoid in his current condition but at the same time he wanted so much, under different circumstances. He thought of Reese seeing the ugly scar on his hip, his bare ass and what was worse, his flaccid male member and testicles. His cheeks were turning pink and he couldn’t stare at Reese’s eyes.

“Feeling a little shy Harold? No need for that. I assure you I was highly professional, I didn’t touch you in any malicious way or abused you. I thought you trusted me well enough to know that.” 

“Professional?! Pardon me Mr. Reese, but while I do appreciate you helping me get better, I really would like to keep my privacy and integrity intact. It seems like that ship has sailed.” Finch said in a tone that was a little harsher than he intended.

Reese ignored the slight anger in Finch’s voice, knelt down by his side and spoke in a soft voice. “Harold, I don’t understand why you’re so uncomfortable about your body. I saw you and believe me, you have nothing to be ashamed of. For someone your age and with the injuries you carry, you’re very much in shape. How do you do that? Now that’s a secret I would like to find out.”

Finch was once again blushing, surprised and flattered by the unexpected compliment, and settled down to keep drinking his tea in small sips, even though his hands were clearly shaking. He just hoped Reese wouldn’t notice it.

After finishing his tea and controlling his trembling hands, he spoke again, in a nice but somewhat embarrassed voice. “Mr. Reese, I… I want to thank you for the massage you gave me before I drifted into sleep. My muscles are still aching but it was a great relief.”

“If you’re up for it, I do know a way to work flu symptoms by massaging feet, face and other body parts.” Reese said as he took the mug from Finch’s hands and their fingers lightly brushed. 

“On the current state I found myself into, anything would be of great use.” Finch replied.

Finch was very smart and knew that Reese would offer another massage session, which was exactly what he wanted. Feeling Reese’s long and skilled fingers against his skin, rubbing him in a personal but also so pleasant way, was just the thing he needed to experience again. And this time, he promised himself to stay awake during the whole process. 

Reese excused himself to get supplies for the massage. When he returned, he sat on the edge of the bed, placing Finch’s feet on his lap. 

“Now, are you as ticklish on your feet as you are on your sides?” Reese asked in a sarcastic tone.

“That’s a very personal question, Mr. Reese.” Finch answered with an arched eyebrow.

“Finch, I’ve undressed you and taken a shower with you, I felt you heart beat against my hand. I heard you speaking in your sleep, and you’re in my bed and wearing my clothes. I think we’re way past the personal barrier.”

Not waiting for a response, Reese applied some cotton tree foot cream on his hands and rubbed one against the other to get it warm. He began by taking Finch’s left foot and working his hands from the toes to the ankle, just caressing the top of the foot. He did the same thing with the sole, working in the opposite direction. He gently cupped one hand around Finch’s ankle and softly rotated it back and forth. Still holding the foot, he made a fist with his other hand and carefully kneaded the sole, especially the arch region. Then, he rolled each toe between his thumb and forefinger and gently squeezed the end of each toe. To finish the massage, he slid his index finger in between each toe, repeating the motion several times. He did the same process with the other foot. 

“Enjoying it Harold?” He asked while he was cleaning his hands from the excess of cream on a towel.

“I’ve endured some painful massage sessions while I was recovering from my accident, Mr. Reese. So a pleasant one like this is most welcomed.” Finch answered in a low, relaxed voice. 

He had taken his glasses off and kept his eyes closed during most of the massage session, just savoring it, and trying to memorize the feeling of Reese’s skin on his own. He found it funny how the same hands that could be used to take the life from a person could also be so soft and careful. 

“Well, we’re just getting started. Now, I need you to lie on your back and I’ll also need to take your pajama top off and lower your pants a little.” Reese said as he got up, placing Finch’s feet back on the bed.

“I suppose I can trust you not to take advantage of me. I’m already in a very vulnerable condition.”

“Just let the paranoia down for a bit Finch. I just want to work on your adrenal glands.”

“That seems like an odd place for a massage, Mr. Reese.”

“Well, according to many chiropractors, a massage on the adrenal’s region can relieve coughs and excess mucus, along with other flu symptoms.”

“Your knowledge of massage therapy certainly wasn’t in any of your files. I’ll gladly hear about where and how you acquired these sorts of skills on a later occasion.” Finch’s inquisitive and curious side couldn’t help it.

Reese nodded and smiled. Finch’s sense of eloquence never ceased to amaze him. 

He began to work on the buttons of the pajama tops and Finch tensed at first, but allowed him to keep going without protesting. He took Finch’s arms from the sleeves one at a time and placed the item of clothing on the bottom of the bed. He then put a hand on Finch’s bare waist and helped him turn around. He rearranged the pillows so that they were supporting Finch’s forehead and chest and allowing him space to breathe. Then he slowly lowered the waist of the pajama pants so that just a hint of Finch’s backside was showing. That was a little more than necessary, but he just couldn’t help himself. Even though he had already seen Finch naked, sometimes the insinuation of nudity had more effect on him than the sheer nudity itself. But before the smaller man could feel exposed or suspicious of Reese’s intentions, he placed a towel on the region to cover Finch’s lower back and ass. 

“Two things I need to do, first I have to straddle your legs, so I can have better access. If I’m putting too much weight on them, just let me know. Second, I’ll do some thermal shock massage in this area, so you’ll feel a hot and then a cold towel pressing against your skin. Try not to tense, Harold.” Reese said as he ran his hands down the exposed part of Finch’s back.

He carefully lowered himself on top of Finch and took a hot towel from inside a basin. He wrung out the excess of water, tested the temperature against his skin and placed it on Finch’s lumbar region. Finch sighed as the temperature was just right against his sore muscles. Reese placed both of his palms flat on each of Finch’s kidneys and pressed them for some seconds. He removed his hands and repeated the motion a couple of times.

“Now Harold, take in a deep breath and when you let it out, I’ll place the cold towel on you.” Reese warned.  
Finch did as told and when he was starting to exhale, Reese quickly switched the towels. Finch’s body immediate reaction was to contract the muscles and stop breathing. 

Reese gently caressed the back of Finch’s neck and ran a hand through his hair. “Harold, I need you to relax, fight against your body natural reflexes. Just follow my lead and breathe with me, ok? Now, breathe in…. and let it out… In… and out.”

With the aid of Reese’s coaxing, Finch got his breathing to a normal level and, as a result, his muscles began to relax as well. Reese pressed his palms against the towel, just like he had done before. After removing it, he gently rubbed around Finch’s kidneys area for some minutes.

After that, he applied a generous amount of sunflower oil all over Finch’s back and got a small yellow spike massage ball. He slowly rolled it down Finch’s spine and this elicited some pleasant moans from the sick man, so Reese kept going back and forth for several times.

Finch never thought that getting sick could be a good thing, but this was turning out to be quite a delightful experience. He couldn’t get enough of Reese’s touch and ministrations and how concerned the younger man was in making him feel better. The adrenal thermal massage, which at first he thought was quite weird, was actually a mix of pleasant sensations. He could feel the warmth and softness of Reese’s hands pressing against him, even through the towels. And now, the spinal massage left him so relaxed he was almost drifting into sleep again. It was great thinking that all this time he was dreaming about all this and now he could finally have it, even though he still didn’t have the courage to tell Reese his real feelings toward him.

Finch was brought back to reality when Reese placed both hands to his sides to let him know he wanted Finch to turn around again. 

“You said you were feeling like you have sinusitis. There’s a facial massage that can help you with that. I’ll need you to sit up again and I’ll have to get closer to you.”

Arranging the pillows on the headboard once again, Reese helped Finch sit up and asked him to spread his legs as far as he could so Reese could kneel in the space between them. He placed his fingers in the middle of Finch’s forehead and slid them to the temple area, where he made circular moves with his fingers, applying just a small pressure. 

Finch had his eyes closed and was breathing fast, even though he was trying not to let Reese know how nervous he was. But the fact that Reese’s face was standing so close to his that he could feel his breathing was not helping. Finch wasn’t able to see Reese, but that didn’t stop his mind from imagining the pair of beautiful green eyes carefully staring at him and the light pink lips that he so much wanted to taste with his own.  
He tried to wave those thoughts aside and settled down to focus on what Reese’s fingers were doing. Both his indexes were working up and down the sides of his nose repeatedly, which almost made Finch sneeze, but now Reese was holding Finch’s jaw with his thumbs while his other fingers were rubbing the cheekbones, moving from the sides of the nose to the jaw line.

Reese was so immersed in the feeling of touching Finch’s soft facial skin that he was caught off guard when Finch suddenly opened his eyes and looked right into his. His fingers stopped where they were. For a moment he wished he could take this further, cup his hand on the back of Finch’s neck and pull him into a kiss. Well, even if he could just trace the outline of Finch’s lips with his fingers would be enough for him, but he had a vague idea that Finch would suspect it wasn’t part of the massage session at all. Reese was so afraid of being rejected that he didn’t dare making a move, especially with Finch’s sick state. 

“I’m sorry Mr. Reese. Didn’t mean to take you by surprise.” Finch said after a few awkward seconds that felt like an eternity.

“I’m an ex-soldier and ex-CIA agent Finch, remember? Nothing startles me.” Reese lied with a tense smirk on his face. “I’d say your massage session is over, unless there’s any other area you’d like me to work on.” Reese tried to get the upper hand again by saying this while staring at Finch’s lower region. There was definitely a small but perceptible bulge in Finch’s pajama pants.

“Thank you Mr. Reese but that’s quite all right for now.” Finch replied sensing where Reese was trying to take the conversation to. Surely he would love to feel the other man’s hands caressing his cock and massaging his balls but he neither had the strength to endure such strenuous activity nor did he have the guts to tell Reese what was going through his mind.

Reese, on the other hand, was feeling a little disappointed. He couldn’t understand the fact that all his innuendos and insinuations had no effect at all on Finch. He was a very attractive man who could have any person, male or female, he wanted to. But his feelings were set on Finch and he was going to keep trying to get through to him.

Reese excused himself for a few minutes and gathered some medical supplies from the living room while trying to recompose and get his thoughts straight. This was about taking care of Finch, who was very sick at the moment, he had to stop flirting and focus on the matter at hand.

When Finch saw Reese returning, his eyes widened at the sight.

“Mr. Reese, did you rob a pharmacy or a hospital?”

“Sort of. I need to be sure that you don’t have pneumonia and that you’re recovering well. So, aside from taking you to the hospital, I think this is the best option we have.”

“Do you even know how to use all this equipment?”

“There’s nothing the internet can’t teach us these days. You should know that better than anyone else, Harold.” Finch’s lips curled in a hint of a smile .

“Now, I need to listen to your lungs, make sure there’s no fluid in it.” Reese said as he got a stethoscope.

“This will feel a little cold.” He warned as he pressed the bell of the stethoscope on Finch’s chest. 

“Now I need you to breathe in and out very deeply and slowly Harold. Do it as many times as you can”. He said while putting the earpieces into his ears. 

Finch did as told, and Reese kept moving the stethoscope all over Finch’s chest, trying to listen to any abnormal sounds coming from Finch’s lungs. He repeated the procedure using the diaphragm of the stethoscope. 

Finch kept his breathings deep and steady, all the while looking at Reese’s face. The younger man looked concentrated, occasionally closing his eyes as if it would enhance his hearing ability. Finch was pleased at how far Reese would go to be sure that he was ok.

“Very good Finch. Now I’ll take these pillows away very quickly, just so I can listen to the back of your lungs.” He said as he held Finch’s back with one hand while putting the pillows on the other side of the bed. He placed the stethoscope in his ears again and told Finch to take more deep breaths. 

“Good. I’m no expert, but I didn’t hear any abnormal noises coming from your lungs, so I guess it’s just a flu. You should be fine in a few days.” Reese offered Finch a glass of water to make sure he would stay hydrated. Finch protested because he really didn’t feel thirsty, but Reese insisted.

“Do you still have trouble breathing?” Reese asked after retrieving the cup from Finch’s hands.

“Occasionally, why do you ask?”

“Here, I also brought this.” He said, as he placed a nebulizer on the bedside table. “If you want to try it, we won’t use any medication, just water.”

Even though the face massage had temporarily relieved the sinusitis symptoms, Finch still felt a little uncomfortable, so he decided to give it a try.

Reese got the nebulizer ready with clean water and turned it on for a few seconds to make sure it was working properly, while Finch worked on putting the pillows back on the headboard. When Finch was ready, Reese placed the mask on his face, strapping it in the back.

“Now Finch, don’t forget to take low deep breaths through your nose. Try to relax while I go get you something to eat.”

When Reese returned, he was carrying a bed table in which he had placed a plate of chicken noodle soup and a glass of orange juice with a straw in it. He set the table on Finch’s lap and helped him take off the nebulizer. 

“How are you feeling Harold?”

“Well the nebulizer surely came in handy. It’s definitely much easier to breathe now.”

“That’s good news. Now, I know how sick people never feel like eating anything but I brought you some soup and juice. If you feel too weak, I can spoon feed you.” Reese said sarcastically.

“That won’t be necessary Mr. Reese, I’m quite capable of feeding myself, thank you.”

Reese just watched as Finch ate the soup and drank the juice, occasionally helping him when his hands began to tremble. When Finch finished, Reese excused himself to take everything back to the kitchen. As he returned, he saw that Finch had put his pajama top back on and was trying to get up from the bed. He quickly went to his side to help him.

“Something that you want, Harold?”

“I just wanted to use your restroom if it’s not too much trouble.”

Reese wrapped an arm around Finch’s waist and helped him slowly limp to the bathroom. He opened the door and turned on the lights.

“I’ll be right here if you need anything Harold.”

Finch went inside and closed the door behind him. He emptied his bladder and washed his hands and face as well. He looked at his image reflected in the mirror and saw that his skin was very pale and there were beads of sweat across his forehead. His hair was disarrayed and he didn’t even want to get started on the stubble that was beginning to grow. He always liked to keep himself shaved and clean. He thought about how he was looking such a mess in front of Reese and was giving him so much trouble, but the younger man still did whatever he could to make him feel better. This just made the secret feelings Finch had been nurturing grow. Even in his current sick state and having Reese around him all the time, he couldn’t find a way to tell Reese how he felt, but he had a little idea in mind, something that Reese probably wouldn’t say no to.

Reese was already getting worried from the other side of the door, but as he thought about knocking, Finch opened it. Both men went back to the bedroom and Reese helped Finch lay down in bed again. Even though Finch was feeling a little better and had no meds on his system, he was beginning to feel sleepy once again. This was the time to make the unrefusable offer to Reese.

“Mr. Reese, I’m sorry if I seem a little forward but, would you mind laying down in bed with me?”

Reese hesitated for a few seconds, which made Finch almost regret his offer, but after thinking about it, he said. “Sure Harold, you don’t even need to ask twice. Anything you need to feel better.”

Reese stripped down to just his boxers and laid down, leaving some space between him and Finch, facing the older man’s back. Finch threw an arm backwards, reaching for Reese’s hand. When he found it, he pulled it, no words needed to show Reese he wanted him to get closer. Reese followed the lead and spooned Finch, wrapping an arm around the older man’s chest. Finch shifted in bed and got as close as he could, completely cozy near Reese’s body. Finch took Reese’s hand that was on his chest and placed a soft and light kiss on its back, setting it back to its original place. Reese returned the gesture by kissing the back of Finch’s neck and opening a button from Finch’s pajama so he could slide his hand inside. He ran it slowly around Finch’s chest, who took in a deep breath, let out a moan and closed his eyes. 

“Is this okay Harold?”

“More than okay John.”

If it was physically possible, Reese would have melted at hearing his first name coming from Finch’s mouth, something that happened so rarely. Taking the current situation a little forward, he gently eased one of his legs in between Finch’s and nuzzled the back of Finch’s neck. The other man shivered when he felt the warm breath on his sensible skin, but he didn’t want Reese to stop. He knew the other man was enjoying it as well because he could feel a growing bulge pressing against him and Reese was doing nothing to try to hide it. This seemed like the perfect moment to tell the truth, to come out to Reese. Who knew when he would have another opportunity like this?

Finch turned around in bed so he could face Reese and stared right into his green eyes. He moistened his lips as he worked the courage.

“Mr. Reese, John, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you…”

He couldn’t finish his confession because Reese brought his index finger to Finch’s lips and silenced him. Reese softly and slowly traced the lips outline and when Finch parted them, Reese let just the tip of his finger inside. Finch lightly kissed it, never taking his eyes away from Reese’s. Finch wrapped an arm around Reese’s waist and pulled him close. Reese replaced his finger with his lips and they kissed, for the first time. It was just a light brush of lips but enough to make them hold their breaths. 

“Harold, I’ve wanted to kiss you for a long time. If I knew you felt the same way, damn, we could’ve been enjoying this for so long.”

“I never thought that you felt this way about me John. All your insinuations and sarcastic remarks, I thought you were just messing with me.”

“Sssh, let’s not speak of this. For now, I just want to hold you close and watch you fall asleep in my arms.”  
Finch rested his head on the pillows and closed his eyes while Reese ran a hand up and down his back and placed soft kisses all over his face.

Lost in between so many soft caresses, Finch fell asleep once again. It didn’t take Reese long to drift off as well.


End file.
